Posted 2:31 a.m. Oct. 1 on TheEagleOnline.com. Revised for print.
The political climate at AU during the presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) Thursday night represented the nation in general: intensely divided.
Hundreds of students of differing ideologies attended several organized debate-watching events around campus. In Ward 1, the debate was displayed on two large screens to a full house of students with mixed attitudes and views.
At any given point during the debate, one group of students would applaud Bush, another would shout in support for Kerry, and others would make obscene gestures at the screen not obviously directed at either candidate.
The College Democrats and AU Students for Kerry packed the McDowell Hall Formal Lounge, while College Republicans watched in the McKinley Building. The reactions to the candidates varied from room to room. At times when Kerry criticized Bush or the president paused or stumbled over his words, the McDowell gathering would erupt into applause and laughter. While the students in McKinley were less vocal, there were occassional snickers at Kerry's points.
However, AU College Democrats President Greg Wasserstrom had high regard for Kerry's performance.
"[Kerry] came out miles ahead of Bush," Wasserstrom said. "He did very well articulating his thoughts and positions."
Wasserstrom said Kerry succeeded in proposing a workable way out of the war in Iraq and positive plan for disposing leftover Soviet nuclear waste.
"In the end the voters will decide, and after tonight they will decide in favor of John Kerry," he said.
AU College Republican Vice President Alan Griffith said the debate went very well for Bush.
"The president drew a sharp contrast to Senator Kerry. He did a good job hammering down on and ridiculing him," Griffith said. "Kerry comes across as an arrogant Eastern liberal type, which doesn't go over well in Middle America. He seemed as if he was trying to lecture people, including the moderator and the president."
Graduate student and fellow Republican Nathaniel Kulyk agreed, for the most part.
"Bush continued to be crystal clear in his views," he said, adding that while Kerry seemed to take a firmer stance on various issues, his main argument was characterized by pessimism.
"Pessimism alone does not win elections," Kulyk said.
Naomi Leight, president of AU Students for Israel, had mixed feelings about the debate. Leight's group sponsored a debate party with the College Republicans and Democrats in the McKinley Building.
"Both candidates support Israel in principle, but it would have been nice to see them discuss the topic more," Leight said. "Kerry did mention that a stable Iraq equals a safer Israel, but President Bush also has a terrific record in supporting it."
She added, "I know either candidate will support democracy in the Middle East. No matter what, Israel will have a friend in the White House."
The next debate will be tomorrow night at 9 p.m. between Sen. John Edwards and Vice President Dick Cheney. The College Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians will sponsor a student debate that same night.
AU viewers were among the 62.2 million people who watched the debate, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The Associated Press reported that this is a 34 percent increase over the 46.6 million people who watched the first debate in 2000 between Bush and then-Vice President Al Gore. The first presidential debate in 2000 took place at the same time as a baseball playoff game.
